When Crocoite was worth its weight in gold

The above specimen of crocoite is from the type locality for the mineral. When discovered at the Berezovsk gold mine in 1766 the mineral became known as Red Lead-Spar. The crystals were highly prized by collectors -

A Dictionary of Chemistry and Mineralogy by Arthur Aikin, 1807

It wasn't until around 1888 that, digging in the Heazlewood lead-silver mine, miners discovered the Tasmanian deposits of crystallised lead chromate. The specimens recovered from the Dundas mineral field, in particular the Adelaide mine from 1891 to the present, are spectacular to say the least.

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